AA/CGF - Constitution of the General Faculty

Preamble

Orderly faculty participation in policy making, and a clearly defined organizational structure designed to promote such participation, will contribute to a clear understanding of the mutual problems and responsibilities of the executive, academic and administrative personnel of California State University, Stanislaus. Effective faculty formulation of policies requires the establishment of a representative body which provides for faculty planning and consideration in the development of policy, and ensures effective communication between faculty and administration in policy matters.

To meet this need, the Constitution of the General Faculty of California State University, Stanislaus, provides that:

There shall be established an Academic Senate elected by, and representative of, the faculty body.

The Academic Senate shall meet regularly to identify and represent faculty viewpoints in the determination of policy.

There shall be established standing committees as may be necessary to serve efficiently the best interests of the University.

In agreement with a policy approved by the Trustees of The California State University, the President of California State University, Stanislaus, may delegate any of the President’s functions to executive officers, faculty members, or student organizations or agencies, provided this delegation does not remove final authority and responsibility from the President. To this end, the President shall employ democratic processes which involve faculty consultation in policymaking.

Successful faculty-administration relationships and the ultimate value of the contributions made by the faculty in policy areas require that Senate recommendations be accepted by the University whenever there is no compelling reason to reject them.

Article I. Name and Purpose of the Organization

Section 1.0 The name of the organization shall be the General Faculty of California State University, Stanislaus.

Section 2.0 The purpose of this organization of the faculty is to provide for the orderly cooperation of the administrative and academic faculty in the interests of the University as a whole.

Article II. Duties and Responsibilities of the General Facutly

Section 1.0 It shall be the duty and responsibility of the General Faculty to formulate, recommend, review and revise all academic, personnel, and professional policies pertaining to its members, including fiscal policies related thereto, broadly and liberally defined.

Section 2.0 It shall be the duty and responsibility of the General Faculty to assure through well- established and well-defined channels of communication the maximum cooperation between teaching and administrative members in order that policy and administrative implementation shall be consonant.

Section 3.0 It shall be the duty and the responsibility of the General Faculty to present through proper channels to the Trustees of The California State University and/or the Academic Senate of The California State University any appropriate recommendation relating to, but not limited to, those policy matters enumerated in Article II, Section 1.0.

Section 4.0 The General Faculty reserves the right to direct the Speaker, the presiding officer of the General Faculty (Article III., Section 2), to express sentiments of the General Faculty independent of action taken by the President of the University.

Section 5.0 The President of the University shall speak officially for the University.

Article III. Organization of the General Faculty

Section 1.0 Membership of the General Faculty of California State University, Stanislaus, is defined to include the President of the University and all full-time academic and academic-closely related employees. Academic closely-related employees include librarians, counselors, and employees with academic rank. Additionally, after two consecutive academic years of service, academic and academic-closely related personnel employed less than full time shall be members of the General Faculty in any academic year in which they are assigned at least twelve WTU’s (or equivalent for librarians and counselors). In general, membership in the General Faculty shall be limited to professional employees whose duties pertain to instruction, instructional support, and student counseling.

1.1 Academic and academic-closely related personnel who are not members of the General Faculty shall have the privilege of debate.

Members of the General Faculty with MPP status shall not be eligible to stand for election nor serve as faculty representatives on any established standing committee.

Section 2.0 Officers of the General Faculty shall be the Speaker, Speaker Elect and the Clerk.

2.1 Election of the Speaker Elect and Clerk shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees, according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2.

2.2 The Speaker Elect shall succeed to the office of Speaker.

2.3 Terms of office for the Speaker, Speaker Elect and Clerk shall be for one year commencing with the final day of scheduled classes for the academic year.

2.4 Duties of officers of the General Faculty shall be as follows:

The Speaker shall be the presiding officer of the General Faculty, shall Chair the Academic Senate and the Senate Executive Committee, and shall speak officially for the Academic Senate and for the General Faculty. The Speaker shall be an ex-officio member of all committees of the Academic Senate. The Speaker Elect shall assist the Speaker and shall assume the responsibilities of the office in the Speaker’s absence. The Speaker Elect shall be a member of the Committee on Committees. The Clerk shall record and preserve the minutes and records of the General Faculty and of the Academic Senate. The Clerk shall forward copies of General Faculty and Academic Senate actions, agenda, and minutes of meetings to all persons and organizations that should have knowledge of them.

Section 3.0 Regular meetings of the General Faculty shall be held once during the first month of and once during the last month of each academic year. Times for these two meetings shall be set by the Speaker with the advice and consent of the President of the University. Additional meetings shall be called when requested by the President of the University, the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate, or by a petition signed by twenty-five percent of the faculty.

3.1 Agenda for regular meetings of the General Faculty shall be established by the Speaker with the advice of the President of the University. Items for the agenda may be submitted by a petition signed by ten percent of the General Faculty.

All agenda items for regular meetings shall first have been presented to the Academic Senate. The agenda shall be provided to the faculty at least two academic workdays prior to the meeting.

3.2 A quorum for a regular meeting of the General Faculty shall consist of forty percent of the members of the General Faculty who are on full-time duty during that term.

3.3 All matters put to a vote at a regular meeting shall be decided by a majority of those present, provided that a quorum is present.

3.4 Except as it conflicts with the Constitution, Robert’s Rules of Order (Newly Revised) shall govern procedures in all meetings of the General Faculty.

Section 4.0 The General Faculty of the University may call for an initiation of General Faculty actions by a petition, submitted to the Speaker, of forty percent of the General Faculty. The General Faculty of the University may call for a referendum of Academic Senate actions by a petition, submitted to the Speaker, of twenty-five percent of the General Faculty. Contents of a petition for initiation of or referendum on action, must be made available to the faculty within five instructional days after its submission. A faculty vote shall be taken within ten instructional days after the contents of the petition have been circulated. Such ballots shall be accompanied by arguments favoring and opposing the proposed action; the responsibility for preparing the favorable argument shall rest with the mover of the proposal; the responsibility for preparing the adverse arguments shall be determined by the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate in consultation with those who opposed the motion. The ballot shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees. Faculty initiation and referendum actions shall require approval by a majority of the General Faculty votes cast on the ballot.

Section 5.0 The President of the University shall take action on policy recommendations of the General Faculty under Article III., Sections 3.3 and 4.0, or Article V., Section 5.2, within thirty calendar days of proper notification of such recommendations. Should the President of the University decline to concur in such policy recommendations of the General Faculty, it shall be the responsibility of the President to explain the reasons in writing to all members of the General Faculty or to present the President’s position in person to the Academic Senate within a reasonable time. The President of the University shall have final authority and responsibility for the operation of the University.

Section 6.0 The members of the General Faculty may initiate an election for the recall of any elected officer or elected representative of the General Faculty by submitting, to the Speaker (or Speaker Elect if it is a recall of the Speaker), a recall petition containing the signatures of forty percent of that officer’s or representative’s constituency. Upon receipt of a valid recall petition, the Speaker shall instruct the Committee on Committees to conduct, within ten instructional days after receipt of the petition, a recall election. A two-thirds majority vote of the appropriate constituency effects recall.

Article IV. Committees of the General Faculty

Section 1.0 There shall be a standing committee of the General Faculty on retention, promotion and tenure, hereinafter referred to as the University Retention, Promotion and Tenure Committee (URPTC).

1.1 The URPTC shall be composed of five full-time tenured voting faculty members at the rank of full professor, librarian, or counselor. At least one member shall come from each college, with   one at-large member.  All committee members shall be elected by tenured and probationary faculty unit employees. Elections shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2.

a) Department Chairs and faculty members whose work assignment includes any administrative assignment as defined in the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the CFA and the Board of Trustees of the CSU shall be ineligible to serve on the URPTC. No one may serve at more than one level of review in the retention, promotion, and tenure process.

b) The URPTC shall, from among its members, elect its own Chair each year.

c) Members of the URPTC shall have terms of office of two years. The terms shall be staggered as such:

Year 1- elect one member from each of two of the colleges and one member from the Library or Counseling. In the event that there are no nominations from the Library or Counseling then one at-large member shall be elected.

Year 2- elect members from the remaining colleges.

The terms of newly elected members shall commence with the final day of scheduled classes for the academic year.

d) For purposes of nomination and election of URPTC members or approval of retention, promotion and tenure procedures, only those members of the General Faculty who are subject to review by the URPTC shall be eligible to vote

1.2 The duties of the URPTC shall be to:

a) Publish each spring semester, with the approval of the President of the University, an “Annual Calendar” which shall consist of dates in the next academic year for the transmittal of documents pertaining to evaluations of and recommendations on candidates for retention, promotion and tenure

b) Review files and recommendations on all candidates for retention, promotion and tenure and submit its confidential recommendations to the candidate and the appropriate administrative officer in accordance with the principles, criteria, and procedures adopted by the General Faculty.

c) Timelines for the entire temporary faculty evaluation process shall be established annually by the University Retention, Promotion, and Tenure Committee after consultation with the President or the President’s designee and widely promulgated throughout the campus.

Section 2.0 There shall be a standing committee of the General Faculty on faculty affairs, hereinafter referred to as the Faculty Affairs Committee (FAC).

2.1 The FAC shall be composed of the Chair, Chair elect and five full-time tenured voting faculty members, with no more than two of the five full-time tenured voting faculty members from any one college.  The membership may include no more than two librarians and/or counselors. Representation in at least one of these five positions by a faculty member who teaches at the Stockton Campus is urged when possible. Elections for all members shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2.

a) The Chair shall serve as a member of the Senate Executive Committee.

b) The Chair-elect shall serve one year as a member of the committee and the following year as the Chair. The Chair-elect will serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair.

c) Other members of FAC shall have terms of office of two years. The terms shall be staggered. The terms of newly elected members shall commence with the final day of scheduled classes for the academic year.

2.2 The duties of the FAC shall be to:

a) Expedite the resolution of professional concerns of members and associate of the General Faculty (including questions of academic freedom and professional ethics) when requested to do so by one or more of the individuals involved in or directly affected by the matter.

b) Address questions regarding faculty morale when requested to do so by the Academic Senate or by a committee of the General Faculty and submit for the General Faculty’s approval policy recommendations in the best interest of general morale at California State University, Stanislaus.

c) Develop and recommend to the Academic Senate faculty personnel policies, in general to include but not limited to promotion, tenure, retirement, leaves of absence, sabbatical leaves, research grants, awards, publications, selection and retention of instructional staff and such other faculty personnel matters as may be referred to the committee by the President of the University or the Academic Senate.

d) Interpret the Constitution and Standing Rules with reference to all policies, procedures, and actions of the General Faculty and its committees, the Academic Senate and its Committees, officers of the General Faculty and the President of the University.

Section 3.0 There shall be a standing committee of the General Faculty on leaves and awards, hereinafter referred to as the Leaves and Awards Committee (LAC).

3.1 The LAC shall be composed of five tenured voting faculty unit employees, with no more than two of the five tenured voting faculty unit employees from any one college. The membership may include no more than two librarians and/or counselors. All committee members shall be elected by tenured and probationary faculty unit employees. Elections by the General Faculty shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees, according to the procedures in Article VI, Section 3.2.

a) The LAC shall, from among its members, elect its own Chair each year.

b) Members of the LAC shall have terms of office of two years. The terms shall be staggered. The terms of newly elected members commence with the final day of scheduled classes for the academic year.

c) Members of the LAC are not eligible to apply for Sabbaticals and RSCA Grants. If someone on the LAC is nominated for Outstanding Professor/ RSCA/Community Service/Faculty Governance Award and wants to submit a file, they would have to remove themselves from LAC for the term affected. Members of the LAC should avoid providing a letter of support for any applicant.

3.2 The duties of the LAC shall be to:

a) Recommend policies and procedures to the Academic Senate concerning faculty leaves and awards;

b) Make specific recommendations consistent with established policies and procedures, to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs regarding the granting of faculty leaves and awards, following the specific guidelines for these awards.

c) Review the merits of Emeritus Professor Status for nominations of those members not qualifying with 15 or more years of service, in accordance with 4/AS/92/FAC Policy on Emeritus/Emerita Professor Status .

Section 4.0 Each committee of the General Faculty shall establish its own procedures for the performance of its duties, consistent with those procedures established in this Constitution and in previous actions of the General Faculty.

Section 5.0 The Speaker may appoint faculty ad hoc committees to consider matters not within the province of any standing committee of the General Faculty or of the Academic Senate. Ad hoc committee reports shall be timely and shall be filed in writing with both the Speaker and the Clerk for transmission to the General Faculty or the Academic Senate for action, as appropriate to the topic. Such ad hoc committees shall have a limited life as specified at the time of their appointment.

Article V. The Academic Senate

Section 1.0 The Academic Senate is the official representative body of the General Faculty.

Section 2.0 All members of the General Faculty are eligible for election to the Academic Senate. Voting membership of the Academic Senate shall be as follows:

a) One Senator elected by and from the General Faculty in each academic department, the library, and the counseling faculty. Lecturers who are members of the General Faculty are eligible to serve in this role if elected.

b) The General Faculty’s representatives to the Statewide Academic Senate.

c) The members of the Executive Committee of the Academic Senate.

d) The Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs and Vice President of Student Affairs.

e) Two voting student members of the Academic Senate selected by the Associated Students, according to their procedures.

f) One voting member of the Academic Senate elected by and from the CSUS Emeritus and Retired Professors’ Association.

g) One voting member of the Academic Senate elected by and from all full and part-time lecturers, excluding coaches (non-tenure-track Unit 3 employees).

h) One voting member of the Academic Senate elected by and from all full-time permanent staff (The term “staff” shall mean any staff employee who is full-time permanent employee in bargaining units 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9.)

i) One voting member of the Academic Senate elected by and from all full and part-time coaches, (non-tenure-track Unit 3 employees).

2.1 Elections to the Academic Senate shall be by either electronic or written ballot of the appropriate faculty, or, in the case of staff, the appropriate constituency. Notification of the results of the ballots shall be made to the Speaker by the fifteenth of May.

2.2 The term of office for all Senators elected under Article V., section 2.0 (a), shall be two years commencing with the final day of scheduled classes for the academic year. Terms shall be staggered.

2.3 The General Faculty’s representatives to the Statewide Academic Senate shall be elected according to the provisions of the Constitution of that body. The elections shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees, according to the procedures in Article Vl., Section 3.2 no later than the fifteenth day of May.

Section 3.0 The Speaker, Speaker Elect, and Clerk of the General Faculty shall serve the respective functions as officers of the Academic Senate, their duties as officers are specified in Article III., Section 2.4 (a), (b), and (c). Agenda for Academic Senate meetings shall be established by the Speaker with the advice of the Senate Executive Committee.

Section 4.0 There shall be at least one regular meeting of the Academic Senate each month during the academic year. Special meetings may be held on call of the Executive Committee or on petition of twenty-five percent of the Senate’s membership.

4.1 All meetings of the Academic Senate shall be open to members of the General Faculty.

4.2 The quorum for Academic Senate meetings shall consist of sixty percent of the voting membership of the Academic Senate.

4.3 A proxy notification shall be a written communication to the Clerk of the Senate authorized by the absent member and must be delivered by email or in person to the Clerk before the proxy holder may participate as a member in the Senate meeting.

4.4 Except as it conflicts with this Constitution, Robert’s Rules of Order (Newly Revised) shall govern procedure in all meetings of the Academic Senate.

Section 5.0 The duties of the Academic Senate, delegated to it by the General Faculty, shall be:

a) To formulate, recommend, review, and revise all academic, personnel, and professional policies pertaining to the General Faculty, including fiscal policies related thereto, broadly and liberally defined.

b) To assure through well-established and well-defined channels of communication the maximum cooperation between the teaching and administrative members in order that policy and administrative implementation shall be consonant.

c) To present through proper channels to the Trustees of The California State University and/or the Academic Senate of The California State University any appropriate recommendation regarding to, but not limited to, those policy matters enumerated in Article V., Section 5.0 (a). Such recommendations may ask for amendments to or the elimination of any law, code section, regulation or policy when the General Faculty deems it to be in the general welfare of this, of any, or of all The California State University.

5.1 The Academic Senate shall have no authority to make judgments regarding the application of grievance, disciplinary, hiring, retention, promotion or tenure procedures, the granting of faculty leaves and awards, the conducting and certifying of General Faculty elections or final interpretation of the Constitution and Standing Rules of the General Faculty. Such authority is reserved to the General Faculty as specified in this Constitution.

5.2 All actions of the Academic Senate are subject to referendum by the General Faculty for a period of ten instructional days following the date of distribution of Academic Senate minutes (see Article III., Section 4.0). In the absence of a call for referendum, Academic Senate actions shall be General Faculty policy recommendations.

5.3 The President of the University shall take action on policy recommendations of the General Faculty under Article III., Section 3.3 and 4.0, or Article V., Section 5.2, within thirty calendar days of proper notification of such recommendations. Should the President of the University decline to concur in such policy recommendations of the General Faculty, it shall be the responsibility of the President to explain the reasons in writing to all members of the General Faculty or to present the President’s position in person to the Academic Senate within a reasonable time. The President of the University shall have final authority and responsibility for the operation of the University.

5.4 The Academic Senate reserves the right to direct the Speaker to express sentiments of the Academic Senate or of the General Faculty independent of action taken by the President of the University.

Section 6.0 The Academic Senate shall establish and amend Standing Rules of the General Faculty to provide for orderly and efficient conduct of General Faculty business consistent with this Constitution. A two-thirds majority of the voting membership of the Academic Senate shall be required to establish or amend Standing Rules.

Article VI. Committees of the Senate

Section 1.0 There shall be a standing executive committee of the Academic Senate, hereinafter referred to as the Senate Executive Committee (SEC).

1.1 The SEC shall be composed of eleven voting members, including the Speaker, Speaker-elect, Clerk, the Chair of the University Educational Policies Committee, the Chair of the Faculty Affairs Committee, the Chair of the Graduate Council, the Chair of the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee, Chair of the Academic Technology and Learning Committee, the Chair of the Stockton Council, and the two Statewide Academic Senators.

a) The Speaker shall Chair the SEC.

1.2 The duties of the SEC shall be to:

a) Advise the Speaker on matters of procedure and the agenda for Academic Senate meetings.

b) Advise the President of the University on the appointment of faculty members to institutional and advisory committees.

c) Coordinate the work of the Academic Senate, Committees of the Academic Senate and Committees of the General Faculty.

d) Act for the Academic Senate whenever the Academic Senate cannot achieve a quorum. Such actions must be presented to the Academic Senate for ratification at the next scheduled Academic Senate meeting.

e) Annually prepare the slate of nominees for positions open on the Committee on Committees.

Section 2.0 There shall be a standing committee of the Academic Senate on educational policies, hereinafter referred to as the University Educational Policies Committee (UEPC).

Section 2.1 The UEPC shall be composed of twelve voting members including a Chair and Chair-elect who are both tenured. There shall be nine additional members of the General Faculty including a library representative, a counseling representative, one representative from each college, one representative who teaches at Stockton campus, one at-large representative, and the Speaker. One student shall be selected by the Associated Students, according to their procedures. An executive secretary shall be appointed by the President of the University.

The elections shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees, according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2.

a) The Chair shall serve as a member of the Senate Executive Committee. The term of office of the Chair shall be one year.

b) The Chair-elect shall serve one year as a member of the committee and the following year as the Chair. The Chair-elect will serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair. The Chair-elect shall serve as a member of the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee.

c) Faculty members of UEPC, except the Chair and Chair-elect shall have terms of office of three years. The terms shall be staggered at the onset by lot. The terms of new members shall commence on the final day of scheduled classes of the academic year.

Section 2.2 The duties of the UEPC, undertaken in conjunction with College curriculum committees, shall be to:

a) Formulate, review, and recommend to the Academic Senate undergraduate curricular policy.

b) Review and evaluate proposals for new undergraduate programs and courses for study based on approved criteria and procedures.

c) When requested, evaluate 7-year program reviews for existing undergraduate, graduate degree, and post baccalaureate programs, and recommend one of the following: continuation without modification, continuation with specified modifications, or discontinuance.

d) Review plans for academic development in both on- and off-campus undergraduate programs (including extended education and distance learning).

e) Submit an annual report to the General Faculty at the Spring General faculty meeting.

f) Consult with and recommend to the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs in the interpretation of the University’s undergraduate curricular and instructional policies.

g) Maintain close liaison with the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee and the Graduate Council and consult with these bodies on policy issues of mutual interest, such as scheduling, grading, calendar preparation, registration, and resource allocations.

h) Oversee and evaluate the General Education Program.

i) Prepare the academic calendar.

j) Upon proper constitution of the curriculum committees within the colleges, the UEPC may delegate any of its powers to those committees. The curriculum committee of each college shall inform the committees of the other colleges of matters which may impact their respective curricula through the distribution of their minutes. If no objections are expressed within fifteen (15) working days from distribution, the proposed changes will become effective and will be reported to the Associate Vice President for Academic Planning and Analysis. The following issue(s) shall be referred to UEPC.

• an objection that cannot be resolved by the respective committees or the deans of the respective colleges within a reasonable period of time;
• matters where there is no established university curricular policy;
• matters where there is a dispute over the interpretation of existing policy;
• matters where there are extenuating circumstances that require immediate attention or determination.

College committees shall have authority to:

• approve new courses not for General Education credit;
• delete existing courses;
• change titles, descriptions, and unit values of existing courses;
• approve cross- and dual-listed courses;
• approve changes in the majors provided such changes do not increase the total number of units in the combined required prerequisite and major courses and do not require an increase in university resources.

This authority includes all college credit courses except Multidisciplinary courses.

In all other curricular matters, college committees shall make recommendations to the appropriate subcommittee of the UEPC. In no case should these matters come to UEPC without the recommendation of the college committee.

The UEPC reserves the right to review any matters delegated to the college committees.

Section 2.3 UEPC shall, in consultation with the Committee on Committees, establish and discontinue ad hoc subcommittees as it deems appropriate and necessary. There are four standing subcommittees of

UEPC: General Education; University Writing, Assessment of Student Learning, and Multicultural Requirement. Any changes to the charge of the UEPC Subcommittees shall be approved by the UEPC. The name, function and membership of all subcommittees shall be published to the faculty. The Committee on Committees shall appoint subcommittee members in consultation with the Chair of UEPC.

General Education Subcommittee: Five voting members: one full time faculty member from each college and one full time faculty member-at-large.  Library faculty membership is encouraged.  At least three of the faculty members must be tenured.  The Faculty Director of General Education shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member.

University Writing Committee: Seven voting members:  the Writing Program Coordinator, one additional full time faculty member from the English Department, one full time faculty member from each college, and one full time faculty member-at-large. The Faculty Coordinator for the Writing Proficiency Screening Test shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member.

Assessment of Student Learning Subcommittee: Seven voting members:  one faculty member from each college, two faculty members-at-large, and one student shall be selected by the Associated Students according to their procedures.  The Committee on Committees will give preference to candidates with prior experience with program assessment and, to the extent possible, provide a balance of tenured and non-tenured faculty.  The Director of the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member.

Sociocultural Inquiry Requirement Subcommittee: Seven voting members:  one full time faculty member from each college, one full time faculty member-at-large, one additional full time faculty member from the Ethnic or Gender Studies programs, and one student representative appointed by the Vice President of Associated Students, Inc.  At least three of the faculty members must be tenured. The Director of the Diversity Center shall be a standing, non-voting guest of the committee. Library and Counseling faculty membership is encouraged. Preference shall be given to faculty teaching or having taught a multicultural course.

Section 3.0 There shall be a standing committee of the Academic Senate on committee membership and structure, hereinafter referred to as the Committee on Committees (COC).

3.1 The COC shall be composed of seven voting faculty members, including the Speaker and Speaker-elect. Four of these members shall be tenured/tenure track with one additional member who shall be from the General Faculty.  All five members shall be elected by and from the General Faculty from a slate of nominees prepared by the Senate Executive Committee with no more than two of the five voting faculty members from any one college, the library, or counseling. Elections shall be conducted by the COC according to the procedures in Article VI, Section 3.2.

a) The COC shall, from among its members, elect its own Chair each year.

b) Elected members of the COC shall have terms of office of two years. The terms shall be staggered.

3.2 The duties of the COC shall be to:

a) Make recommendations on committee structure.

b) Nominate candidates for offices of the General Faculty and for elective committees of the General Faculty and the Academic Senate except for positions on the COC.

For each of the offices of Speaker-elect, Clerk, and the General Faculty’s representatives to the Statewide Academic Senate, the COC will make every effort to nominate at least two candidates for each office.  Additional nominations may be made by petition of at least ten percent of the General Faculty.

The COC shall make nominations for all other elective positions. Additional nominations may be made by petition of at least ten percent of the General faculty.

In preparing the slate of nominees for all elected positions on General Faculty or Academic Senate Committees and in making non-elective appointments to committees, the COC shall strive for broad representation from the colleges, library, and the counseling faculty.

c) Conduct all university-wide elections and ballots. Elections and ballots may be by electronic means or by mail, as directed by COC.

Regular elections for officers and committee membership must be held no later than the fifteenth of May.

For each of the offices of Speaker-elect, Clerk, and the General Faculty’s representatives to the Statewide Academic Senate, if no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast on a ballot, runoff elections shall be held between the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes, until one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast.

d)  If an elected faculty representative is unable to serve the remainder of his/her term, and it is one semester or less, the COC may appoint a replacement.  If there is more than one semester left in the term and it is deemed urgent to secure a replacement quickly, then COC may appoint a replacement for the remainder of the semester and hold an election to finish out the term.

e) Conduct ballots on initiation of or referendum of General Faculty actions, according to the procedures in Article III., Section 4.0.

f) Conduct recall elections when so instructed by the Speaker (or Speaker-elect in the event of recall of the Speaker), according to the procedures of Article III., Section 6.0.

g) Conduct ballots on amendments to this Constitution, according to the procedures of Article VII., Sections 4.0 and 5.0.

3.3 The COC shall establish the fewest number of committees consistent with optimal operation of the University. No new Academic Senate or General Faculty committee or subcommittee shall be established without approval of the COC or the Academic Senate. This does not apply to administratively appointed committees or to ad hoc committees meeting two semesters or less. The COC shall seek to reduce the number of committees by making appropriate recommendations to the Academic Senate.

3.4 The COC shall take steps to ensure more effective faculty government by overseeing committee assignments. The COC shall circulate to all faculty each February a request for committee preferences. After reviewing this list of preferences, the COC shall prepare a slate of nominees to be submitted for election, for all committees other than the COC. The Senate Executive Committee shall prepare a slate of nominees for COC. Additional nominees for any elected committee may be submitted by the faculty by the petition of at least ten percent of the General Faculty. For non-elective committees, the COC shall, as described in Section 3.2 (a), fill positions, taking steps to assign to committees faculty who have relevant expertise and who will serve responsibly. This committee shall strive to distribute committee assignments broadly and shall seek new leadership from among the newer faculty.

3.5 The COC makes its own rules of procedure, consistent with the procedures outlined in this Constitution and subject to review by the Academic Senate.

Section 4.0 There shall be a standing committee of the Academic Senate on budget matters, hereinafter referred to as the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee (FBAC).

4.1 The FBAC shall be composed of fourteen voting members. The composition of members shall be as follows: seven elected, tenured/tenure track faculty members: a Chair, a Chair-elect, and five faculty members with one from the library or counseling and at least one from each of the colleges of the University;  one student selected by the Associated Students, according to their proedures. An executive secretary shall be appointed by the President of the University. The Speaker, Chair-elect of the University Educational Policies Committee, the Chair-elect of the Graduate Council, the Chair-elect of the Stockton council, and one tenured faculty member of the Accounting Department appointed by the SEC/COC, shall serve as ex-officio voting members. The elections shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2.

a) The Chair of the FBAC shall be a member of the Senate Executive Committee. The term of office of the Chair shall be one year.

b) The Chair-elect shall serve one year as a member of the committee and the following year as the Chair. The Chair-elect will serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair.

c) Elected members of the FBAC, except the Chair and Chair-elect, shall have terms of office of three years. The terms shall be staggered. The terms of newly elected members shall commence with the final day of scheduled classes for the academic year.

4.2 The duties of the FBAC shall be to:

a) Function as one of the University’s campus budget advisory committees (see Chancellor’s memorandum BA-87-14 ).

b) Advise the Administration with respect to University budget policy, planning, and resource allocation, including the development and/or allocation of special funds.

c) Review and interpret budget requests and budget allocations to the General Faculty by reports to the Academic Senate.

d) Conduct special studies regarding budget allocations, when so requested by a committee of the General Faculty or of the Academic Senate.

e) Maintain close liaison with the University Educational Policies Committee.

Section 5.0 There shall be a standing committee of the Academic Senate on faculty development, hereinafter referred to as the Faculty Development Committee (FDC).

5.1 The FDC shall be composed of seven voting faculty members.  The Speaker shall be an ex-officio voting member. Five voting faculty members shall come from among instructional and non-instructional faculty, with one representative from each college and one at-large member. A sixth voting faculty member shall be a non-tenure track faculty member (elected by non-tenure track faculty).

The Vice President for Faculty Affairs and Human Resources (or designee), a representative from OIT/Learning Services, and the director of the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning shall be ex-officio, non-voting members.

Elections shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2.

a) The FDC shall, from among its members, elect its own Chair each year.

b) Elected members of the FDC shall have terms of office of two years, with the exception of the lecturer representative who shall serve a one-year term. Two-year terms shall be staggered. The terms of newly elected members shall commence with the final day of scheduled classes for the academic year.

c) Members of the Faculty Development Committee are not eligible to apply for FDC mini grants. 

5.2 The duties of the FDC shall include the following:

a) To help integrate new faculty into the University community.

b) To help faculty improve their competence as teachers and scholars.

c) To promote the professional development of the faculty.

d) To encourage faculty research, scholarship, creativity, and artistic activity.

e) To promote an atmosphere of shared scholarly activity.

f) To advise the campus community, primarily through the Director of the Faculty Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and the Vice President for Faculty Affairs and Human Resources on issues related to faculty development.

Section 6.0 There shall be a standing Graduate Council of the Academic Senate.

6.1 The Graduate Council shall be composed of a Chair and Chair-elect, a faculty representative from each department that offers a master’s, doctoral, or postbaccalaureate credential program, and a student representative with a one-year term, appointed by Associated Students. The Dean of the Graduate School shall serve as executive secretary to the Council and shall be a voting member. The Curriculum Specialist supporting the Graduate School shall serve as recording secretary for the Council. Non-voting ex officio members shall include the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, the College Deans, the Dean of Library Services, Dean of University Extended Education and International Education, and the Dean of Stockton Campus.

Elections for the Chair-elect will be conducted by the Committee on Committees, according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2. 

a) The Chair will serve as a member of the Senate Executive Committee of the Academic Senate. The term of office of the Chair shall be one year. 

b) The Chair-elect shall serve one year as a member of the committee and the following year as Chair. The Chair-elect will serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair. The Chair-elect shall be a tenured member of the faculty, preferably from a discipline offering a graduate program. The Chair-elect shall be a member ex-officio of the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee. 

Each department will be responsible for the selection of their representative in the Graduate Council. Departments that consider it relevant to have more than one representative due to the configuration and number of graduate programs can present a petition to the Graduate Council in which they provide a rationale to include additional representatives. The Graduate Council will vote on the approval or rejection of the request. The Interdisciplinary Studies Committee shall elect one of its members to serve a one-year term. The Graduate Council is considered a standing committee; therefore, according to Article III, section 1 of the Constitution of the General Faculty, “Members of the General Faculty with MPP (Management Personnel Plan) status shall not be eligible to stand for election nor serve as faculty representatives on any established standing committee.”

6.2 The duties of the Graduate Council shall be to:

a) Promote and support graduate education within the University and community

b) Formulate, review, and recommend to the Academic Senate graduate curricular policy.

c) Review and evaluate proposals for graduate and post baccalaureate credential programs and courses of study based on approved criteria and procedures.

d) Evaluate seven-year reviews of graduate and post baccalaureate credential programs and recommend to the University Educational Policies Committee continuation without modification, continuation with specified modifications, or discontinuance.

e) Review plans for academic development of new graduate and post baccalaureate credential programs in both on- and off-campus/distance learning programs.

f) Submit an annual report to the general faculty at the Spring General Faculty meeting.

g) Maintain close liaison with the University Educational Policies Committee and consult with this body on policy issues of mutual interest, such as scheduling, grading, calendar preparation, registration, and resources.

h) Establish criteria, standards, and procedures for all aspects of graduate course offerings.

The Graduate Council will take action only after the approval from the college curriculum committees and college deans.  These actions include, but are not limited to, the review of courses, programs, and concentrations; academic program reviews; and documents concerning graduate education.6.3 The Graduate Council shall, in consultation with the Committee on Committees, establish and terminate ad hoc subcommittees it deems appropriate and necessary. There is one standing subcommittee of the Graduate Council: Interdisciplinary Studies. The name, function, and membership of subcommittees shall be published to the faculty. The Committee on Committees shall appoint subcommittee members in consultation with the Graduate Council. The standing subcommittees shall be made up of five members, normally with no more than one from any program. Terms of the subcommittee members shall be three years, terms to be staggered at the onset by lot. Subcommittee membership may include non-members as well as members of the Graduate Council. Each subcommittee elects its own Chair each year. The charge of a subcommittee shall be to formulate, review, and recommend to the Graduate Council any policy issue within its purview. Ad hoc subcommittees may be composed of more or less than five members and the length of service may vary as needed.

6.3 The Graduate Council shall, in consultation with the Committee on Committees, establish and terminate working subcommittees it deems appropriate and necessary. There is one standing subcommittee of the Graduate Council: Interdisciplinary Studies. The name, function, and membership of subcommittees shall be published to the faculty. The Committee on Committees shall appoint subcommittee members in consultation with the Graduate Council. The standing subcommittees shall be made up of five members, normally with no more than one from any program. Terms of the subcommittee members shall be three years, terms to be staggered at the onset by lot. Subcommittee membership may include non-members as well as members of the Graduate Council. Each subcommittee elects its own Chair each year. The charge of a subcommittee shall be to formulate, review, and recommend to the Graduate Council any policy issue within its purview. Ad hoc subcommittees may be composed of more or less than five members and the length of service may vary as needed.

Section 7.0 There shall be a standing committee of the Academic Senate on research matters, hereinafter referred to as the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Policy Committee (RSCAPC).

7.1 The RSCAPC shall be comprised of the following voting members;

a) Chair and Chair-elect who are both tenured; one tenured/tenure-track faculty representative from and elected by each college; one representative from and appointed by the library faculty; one representative each from and appointed by both the UEPC and the GC; one student selected by the Associated Students, according to their procedures; and the Speaker (ex-officio). There shall be an ex-officio non-voting member from the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs.

The term of office of the Chair shall be one year. The Chair-elect shall be elected from the faculty at large. The election for Chair-elect shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees, according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2.

The Chair-elect will serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair. Elected faculty members will serve a two-year term. Appointed members will serve for one year.

7.2 The duties of the RSCAPC shall consist of:

a) Research, scholarship, and creative activity policy development and recommendation to the Academic Senate and faculty;

b) coordinating the promotion and support of research, scholarship, and creative activity for undergraduate and graduate students;

c) advocating funding recommendations for faculty research, scholarship, and creative activity, fellowships, publications, Journal of Research, faculty symposia, and travel;

d) providing support for WASC re-accreditation in areas relevant to research, scholarship, and creative activity, performance, and policy;

e) providing advice to administration on issues related to system initiatives on research, scholarship, and creative activity, including academic planning related to research, scholarship, and creative activity; and

f) consulting, as appropriate, with other university committees before proposing research, scholarship, and creative activity policy to the Academic Senate.

Section 8.0 There shall be a standing committee on academic technology and learning, herein referred to as the Academic Technology and Learning Committee (ATLC).

8.1 The ATLC shall be composed of 15 voting members, including a Chair and Chair-elect. There shall be nine additional faculty members including a library representative, one representative from each college, one at-large faculty representative who has taught an online or hybrid course, one at-large faculty representative who preferable teaches at least one in-person class per year on the Stockton Campus, one at-large faculty representative who is a lecturer, and the Speaker (or designee). One student shall be appointed by ASI.

The Director of Academic Technologg, Chief Information Officer, and the Director of Disability Resource Services shall also be ex-officio voting members. An instructional designer shall be an ex-officio, non-voting member. An executive secretary shall be appointed by the President of the University.

The elections of faculty representatives shall be conducted by the Committee on Committees, according to the procedures in Article VI., section 3.2.

a) The Chair shall serve as a member of the Senate Executive Committee. The term of office of the Chair shall be one year.

b) The Chair-elect shall serve one year as a member of the committee, and the following year as the Chair. The Chair-elect will serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair.

c) Faculty members of ATLC, except the Chair and Chair-elect, shall have terms of office of three years. The terms shall be staggered at the onset by lot. The terms of new members shall commence on the final day of scheduled classes of the academic year.

8.2 The duties of the ATLC shall be to:

a) Identify, on an on-going basis, opportunities for improvement or innovation in teaching and learning that can be enabled by educational technologies. 

b) Oversee the development of policies and plans regarding the use of educational/academic technologies, in collaboration with other academic policy committees.

c) Provide ongoing guidance and recommendations regarding the identification, selection, adoption, and deployment of major educational technologies, including the learning management systems, at the institutional level.

d) Provide ongoing guidance and recommendations regarding any significant issues that may arise with the use of educational technologies by students and faculty.

e) Provide recommendations to the University’s planning processes regarding educational technology requirements in classrooms and other learning spaces.

f) Review policies to ensure alignment with academic technology-related regulatory requirements in support of student success.

g) Submit an annual report to the General Faculty at the Spring General faculty meeting.

Section 9.0 There shall be a standing committee on academic work at the Stockton Campus, herein referred to as the Stockton Council (STKC)

9.1 The Stockton Council shall be composed of a Chair and Chair-elect, a faculty representative from each department with a program offered at the Stockton Campus, a Stockton campus non-MPP staff person, and a student representative with a one-year term, appointed by Associated Students. The Dean of the Stockton Campus shall serve as executive secretary to the Council and shall be a voting member. Non-voting ex officio members shall include the Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Academic College Deans, the Dean of Library Services, and the Dean of University Extended Education and International Education. The President shall appoint a recording secretary.

Elections for the Chair-elect will be conducted by the Committee on Committees, according to the procedures in Article VI., Section 3.2.

a) The Chair will serve as a member of the Senate Executive Committee of the Academic Senate. The term of office of the Chair shall be one year.

b) The Chair-elect shall serve one year as a member of the committee and the following year as Chair. The Chair-elect will serve as Chair in the absence of the Chair. The Chair-elect shall be a member of the General Faculty with at least four years of employment at CSU Stanislaus and should teach at least one course per year on the Stockton Campus. The Chair-elect shall also be a member of FBAC.

Each department will be responsible for the selection of their representative to the Stockton Council. Departments that consider it relevant to have more than one representative due to the configuration and number of programs at least partially offered at the Stockton Campus can present a petition to the Stockton Council in which they provide a rationale to include additional representatives. The Stockton Council will vote on the approval or rejection of the request. The Stockton Council is considered a standing committee of the Academic Senate; therefore, according to Article III, section 1 of the Constitution of the General Faculty, “Members of the General Faculty with MPP (Management Personnel Plan) status shall not be eligible to stand for election nor serve as faculty representatives on any established standing committee.”

9.2 The duties of the Stockton Council shall be to:

a) Provide a forum for departments with classes taught in Stockton to collaborate and share information specific to the Stockton Campus.

b) Advocate for faculty and students on the Stockton Campus through communication with administrators, the SEC, and the AS.

c) Maintain close liaison with the Faculty Budget Advisory Committee, and articulate budgetary, resource, and space concerns related to the Stockton Campus

d) Officially represent the successes and challenges of Stockton faculty when informal or formal input is needed.

Article VII. Amendments

Section 1.0 Constitutional Amendments may be proposed (1) by the Academic Senate in a majority vote, (2) by the Faculty Affairs Committee, (3) by a petition signed by at least twenty-five percent of the General Faculty, or (4) by the President of the University.

Section 2.0 All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the Faculty Affairs Committee and shall be accompanied by a clause specifying the effective date of implementation. The Faculty Affairs Committee shall notify the General Faculty of proposed amendments within five days of receiving them.

Section 3.0 For amendments proposed by the Faculty Affairs Committee, by petition, or by the President, the Academic Senate shall have the opportunity to make a recommendation. For its review and possible recommendation, the Senate shall have up to three consecutive meetings from the time the amendment is submitted to the Faculty Affairs Committee. Regardless of any Senate recommendation, amendments proposed by the Faculty Affairs Committee, by petition, or by the President shall be submitted to a vote of the General Faculty unless withdrawn by the proposer.

Section 4.0 Proposed amendments shall be submitted to a vote of the General Faculty by electronic or mail ballot, as directed by COC. In cases where there has been a Senate review under the provisions of section 3.0 of this Article, balloting shall commence within twenty instructional days after completion of the review.  Otherwise balloting shall commence within twenty instructional days after the submission, in accordance with Section 2.0 of this Article, of the amendment to FAC.  The ballot shall be returned within five instructional days.

Section 5.0 Proposed amendments require both approval by a two-thirds majority of the votes cast by the faculty and approval by the President of the University.

List of Amendments

Amendments to this Constitution have been approved, according to the procedure in Article VII., on the following dates:

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